Vara DIY fuel guage

[Steve T]

Steve,

When running side by side with AfricaJim on his Fi Var a year or so back, I'd put in 1ltr more fuel into my carbed Vara than he would into his machines tank. I'd have the fuel light coming on at 200 miles, leaving 3ltrs to empty, so approx 235-240 miles to dry tank, so the Fi should be good for a little more.

Do the maths as you ride and you'll soon get a feel for when's right to feed the beast fuel.

But mostly, ride & smile - your on a Vara

Steve T

[steveR]

Ta Steve. Bearing on mind you mad nutters "oop North" and the rate of knots you go, I should be able to match that

On the fuel light, one slight worry was that the guy who checked the valves etc for me last week found the wires disconnected. No idea why, but he connected them back and no doubt, I will find out if it works, in time.

Few more tweaks this w/e then she'll be ready to roll properly.

[Dee Duble Yuh]

I find the range varies a lot depending on weather and journey length. Commuting in the winter and the low fuel light might come on at 180 miles; long touring trips in the summer and it might take until 220 or more. (As Steve said, don't forget that the bike's full range is about 35 - 40 miles more than that.)

Regarding programming the fuel range on the Zumo, bear in mind that when that threshold is reached all that happens (after a brief warning) is an icon appears on-screen that provides an easy way to get a list of nearby fuel stations.

• If it appeared too soon would it matter? Not much. It's just a little extra clutter on-screen.
• If it appeared too late would it matter? Not much. You can get the list of fuel stations from "Where to?" anyway.
  • I understand newer Zumos also have a "Where am I?" button that also has a link to the fuel station list.

It's a useful feature but there's no harm in experimenting. From memory I recall that the icon appears well before the claimed range, so if you set it for 200 miles, it will appear at something like 160... but double-check that for yourself.

Back to the original post, the "fuel guage" seems to be a flow meter. So what use is that? Does it indicate fuel consumption? (Something missing from the carb'ed Varas.) I can't figure out how it indicates fuel level. Sorry if I'm being dense!

[EDIT] Ah, I get it. When the flow is zero it means you've run out of fuel. Cheers. [/EDIT]

[Boris]

Back to the original post, the "fuel guage" seems to be a flow meter. So what use is that? Does it indicate fuel consumption? (Something missing from the carb'ed Varas.) I can't figure out how it indicates fuel level. Sorry if I'm being dense!

It basically a pulse generator to mimic the turning of the wheel on a pushbike but instead of distance it registers the volume of fuel passing through the flow meter (although displayed as distance on the bike speedo)

[EDIT] Ah, I get it. When the flow is zero it means you've run out of fuel. Cheers. [/EDIT]

That would work

Complete waste of time if you ask me. If I needed that sort of granularity in fuel use I'd be cutting things so fine a closed petrol station could make all the difference. Fill it up when the light comes on and reset the trip. With time you will know when fuel is needed.

[Jackdaw]

Ta Steve. Bearing on mind you mad nutters "oop North" and the rate of knots you go, I should be able to match that

On the fuel light, one slight worry was that the guy who checked the valves rtc for me last week found the wire disconnected. No idea why, but he connected them back and no doubt, O will find out if it works in time.

Few more tweaks this w/e then she'll be ready to roll properly.

Fuel light sensor wires have to be disconnected when removing the tank. Guess he forgot to reconnect them

[steveR]

Fuel light sensor wires have to be disconnected when removing the tank. Guess he forgot to reconnect them

Sounds like the reason. At least Jeff noticed it when he put the tank back on, but that is the difference between a proper time served bike mechanic and an apprentice fitter at the Honda franchise....

[steveR]

I find the range varies a lot depending on weather and journey length. Commuting in the winter and the low fuel light might come on at 180 miles; long touring trips in the summer and it might take until 220 or more. (As Steve said, don't forget that the bike's full range is about 35 - 40 miles more than that.)

Regarding programming the fuel range on the Zumo, bear in mind that when that threshold is reached all that happens (after a brief warning) is an icon appears on-screen that provides an easy way to get a list of nearby fuel stations. It's a useful feature but there's no harm in experimenting. From memory I recall that the icon appears well before the claimed range, so if you set it for 200 miles, it will appear at something like 160... but double-check that for yourself.

[EDIT] Ah, I get it. When the flow is zero it means you've run out of fuel. Cheers. [/EDIT]

I found the Zumo useful as a reminder, though the Transalp had a gauge of course 30 miles warning is good... VERY good actually.

[fatowl]

Back to the original post, the "fuel guage" seems to be a flow meter. So what use is that? Does it indicate fuel consumption? (Something missing from the carb'ed Varas.) I can't figure out how it indicates fuel level. Sorry if I'm being dense!

I think the idea is/was that you reset it to zero when you fill up, then you can see how many litres have been used, and fill up at the appropriate point.

[jasonbc]

I think the idea is/was that you reset it to zero when you fill up, then you can see how many litres have been used, and fill up at the appropriate point.

Isn't that why the varadero has 2 trip counters?? and the same thing i've done ever since i've owned the bike. Ride it once with a full tank and the trip reset then when the light comes on you know for next time what to expect mileage wise?

[Chad]

As a long time TA owner and also a short time owner of a Honda 600 scoot, both with decent gauges, the lack on a Vara confuses me

Out of interest Jason, what milage should I allow for in a tank on a FI Vara, moderate touring road usage, 200miles? I just want to program the Zumo to flag up "Time for Juice"!

How much time have I got after the fuel light comes on???

mine used to average about 200- 220 per tank before the light came on , the best tank full i ever saw was , a slightly nervous 275 and still only managed to get 23.5 ltrs in . ive never really worried about fuel gauges as tend to set my fill ups by a certain mileage anyway